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Barn Dance Was a GIANT Success
Kate McSpadden, Barn Dance Committee Chair
As the sun set on the Merlin Hoppe Arena on April 9th, the lights went up on the 5th annual R.O.C.K. Barn Dance. Over 350 people joined R.O.C.K. staff and volunteers to celebrate Texas’ iconic place in the film industry with the theme “Texas in the Movies.”
With the support of many generous donors, including the presenting sponsors, Mary and Troy Rodriguez, attendees danced to the rockabilly tunes of Two Tons of Steel and raised over $240,000 for R.O.C.K. A highlight of the evening was the “Paddles Up” auction to raise funds for a new volunteer room for the hundreds of R.O.C.K. volunteers who give their time and energy each week. Over $25,000 of the total amount raised will go toward transforming the Hoppe storage room into a new volunteer lounge!
In addition to the presenting sponsor of this year’s event, we are so grateful to all of our sponsors including these major donors:
- Seton Medical Center Williamson/Dell Children’s Medical Center
- Mercedes Benz of Georgetown
- Performance Management Group, LLC
- Ideal Signs
- JDI Contractor & Supply, Inc.
- HEB
- SuddenLink Communications
- Nancy & Frank Krenek
- Lucretia & Curtis Crenwelge
We want to extend our thanks to all who volunteered for this event and all who gave their time, energy, and financial commitment. Proceeds from the Barn Dance are a primary, critical source of funding for R.O.C.K., underwriting a significant portion of the costs for all therapies. Your support helps maintain tuition at the lowest possible levels and provide scholarships to those in need.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of every attendee, supporter, volunteer, and corporate sponsor, we continue to fulfill our mission of “Healing Thru Horses.”
Barn Dance Volunteers Go Above and Beyond
Catherine Bailey, R.O.C.K. Volunteer Newsletter Editor
Planning and preparations for the annual Barn Dance fundraiser consume an entire year, involving many, many volunteers who give generously of their time and expertise. Transforming a barn into a dance hall is nothing short of miraculous. This year’s transformation was expertly orchestrated by generous friends of R.O.C.K. who brought their specialized equipment and expertly trained crews for some very unique in-kind donations.
Imagine the challenge of moving tons of sand off of the arena floor on Friday – just for the weekend – and moving it all back in place for Monday morning classes! Al Mowdy of JDI Contractor and Supply brought two Bobcat tractors and his son, Josh Mowdy to achieve this Herculean task with speed and efficiency.
Next, how to string 480 feet of café lights from the arena rafters? Using a “bucket,” of course! Robert LeCour and crews from SuddenLink came to the rescue with 3 “bucket trucks” to accomplish the multiple steps required to illuminate the barn dancers. Day One: clear all of the bird nests and spider webs from the lights and speakers in the arena. Day Two: unravel and hang light strands from the rafters. Day Three: install 480(!) light bulbs on the light strands. Day Four: remove all of the light strands and bulbs to store them for next year!
John Schmalsteig and Tori visit with Robert LeCour (far left) and the SuddenLink crew during a break.
Kudos to the SuddenLink crew: Jeffery Bow, Broadband Technician; Chris Templeman, Broadband Technician; Wesley DeVall, Plant Manager; and Robert LeCour, System Manager.
Mark Dillon with Ideal Signs filled the barn with larger-than-life iconic images to complete the transformation of the barn into a glittering dance hall. Mark created and donated the giant movie posters celebrating Texas in the movies. Thanks to his creativity, expertise on a large scale, and hanging every sign himself, the visual effects were perfect.
